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Chapter 18
"What are you two doing here?" Ginny demanded, tapping her foot continually on the red carpet. She was looking into the faces of her brothers Fred and George.
"I think the question is 'What are you doing here?'" George replied as Fred gave a favorable nod.
"Seeing that this is my room, I think I have the right to be here," she firmly retorted.
"True, but Harry and Ron are in their room so maybe it would be a good idea to spy on them," Fred suggested.
"I don't spy . . . I eavesdrop," Ginny said in a witty tone. "Plus, they're probably not doing anything except playing Pigwidgeon pong."
"That must bring a lot of excitement," George said sarcastically. He sat on one of the wicker chairs in Ginny's room, and slouched with his jaw resting on his left hand.
"Well, I don't need to use the attic anymore. I can talk to Harry fine now since I'm back to normal." She crossed her eyes to point them down to her nose and smiled.
"So you don't need these anymore?" Fred asked, opening up a drawer and taking out the Transpectacles and Extendable Ears: Deluxe Edition.
"How did you know they were in there?" Ginny demanded.
"Okay, we've known you for how long?" George asked rhetorically.
"You really need a new place to hide your things, Ginny. You should have thought about that a long time ago." said Fred.
"Oh, by the way, here's a couple sickles I owe you from last year," George took some money out of his pocket and winked as Ginny looked slightly puzzled.
"What's this?" asked Fred as he picked up a small piece of wood from the drawer. George got up for a closer look.
"Looks to me like it used to be part of a broom," George said in tone mimicking the man behind Ollivander's Wands. "A nice racing broom, I might add!"
"Oh, that's from Harry's old Nimbus 2000. I found it right after the Whomping Willow did its damage," Ginny explained and Fred and George exchanged glances and laughed.
She snatched it away from Fred and blushed. "Okay, it is pathetic, but I was only 12! You'd understand if you were girls."
"Hey, I know everything there is to know about girls! I read Witch Weekly Teen!" Fred confessed and George gave him a shuddered look.
"You do?!" George demanded and stepped away from him.
"Well, only for the pictures of Beth Capecchi and Stacie Gripling!" Fred tried to redeem himself by speaking the models' names.
"Oh, well, that's okay then!" said George.
Ginny laughed to herself as she was reminded about the last dream she had where Fred and George were Freda and Georgette.
"What's so funny?" Fred asked.
"Nothing," Ginny responded, "I was just wondering who your boyfriends would be if you were actually twin girls."
"Harry, of course!" George joked. "He's a ten!"
"Don't forget Roger Davies!" Fred exclaimed.
"Oh, yes!"
"Right, he's definitely in my top ten!"
"Yes! Now, he's a tall drink of gillywater!"
Ginny interrupted the two by looking at her watch, and stating, "Hermione is going to be here very soon. I should straighten my room up a little and change clothes. See you at dinner!" She was pushing them out of the door.
"Wait! We forgot to tell you about the surprise!" Fred exclaimed.
"What surprise?" Ginny asked.
"You'll see it tonight at the feast!" George replied and the two left.
Ginny was then anxious about what the "surprise" was supposed to be. "It better not be anything to do with my feelings for Harry!" But they wouldn't embarrass my like that. "Or would they?"
She looked down at the piece of wood she was still holding and observed it. I haven't really thought about what Hermione might think about everything, she thought. "I hope she's not mad about the snooping," Ginny bent down to pick up a sock lying on the fur rug, and tossed it into a basket full of other garments.
"She'll get over it, I'm sure," Ginny told herself. She selected a denim skirt and a magenta tank top to wear. I need her support.
Ginny had extra time to kill before she threw on her tennis shoes and headed downstairs just as Hermione was arriving by Floo Powder with Mr. Weasley. Tonks, Mad-Eye Moody, and Lupin were also present at the scene. Mrs. Weasley rushed in to greet everyone.
"Hi!" Hermione said as she saw Ginny and gave her a hug. "Where are Ron and Harry?"
"I think they're in Ron's room, probably playing some stupid game, but anyway, it's so nice to see you! I have so much to tell you!" Ginny replied as Tonks greeted her. Tonks had her usual spiky-pink hair style.
"Ginny, long time!" she exclaimed, and handed her a purple glass-beaded bracelet. "Here, I got it at a flee market in London."
"She gave me one, also," Hermione said and smiled. She showed Ginny the same one on her wrist except it was a pale blue.
"Thank you, Tonks!" Ginny exclaimed and hugged her.
"It's nothing much," Tonks said and smiled. She then turned her attention over to Mrs. Weasley who needed another magical hand to move some baggage into another room. "Locomotor trunks!"
"Come with me!" Ginny said as she grabbed Hermione by the arm and led her up the stairs.
"Ow! What's the rush?" Hermione asked. "I'd like to see Harry and Ron, as well!"
"You'll see them later!" Ginny said as she continued on dragging Hermione up to her room but liberated after a few moments.
They eventually arrived in Ginny's bedroom and got situated. "Now, what is it you have to tell me?" Hermione asked.
"There's so much, I don't know where to begin!" Ginny was talking very impatiently. "So I wrote down everything that's been happening!" She handed the piece of parchment over to Hermione. It was very long, but it only took a minute for Hermione to intake everything.
Ginny couldn't tell what Hermione was thinking by her facial expression. She appeared as though she understood, but she also seemed as if didn't know what to tell her.
Hermione smiled, "Oh, Ginny, I'm so happy!"
"You are?" Ginny asked as Hermione hugged her.
"Well, I was glad when you told me you were over Harry a long time ago because I didn't think you should have been focusing on something other than schoolwork, but I also thought it was a pity that you and Harry might have never been meant to be. I know you're older now and you can tell whether it's a good idea or not to pursue a relationship with him."
"I'm glad you're not angry about me snooping up in the attic." Ginny said and smiled.
"Oh, that," said Hermione and she gave a concerned look as Ginny's smile faded. "I'm not sure if I approve of that."
Ginny looked away. "It's not a big deal."
"It is a big deal. I'm sure you wouldn't want them to do the same to you."
Ginny looked down at her freckled legs. "But they didn't talk about anything they wouldn't have said in front of me."
"That's beside the point, and I'm sure Harry wouldn't have told you to your face that you have beautiful eyes."
Ginny blushed before she spoke, "I really wanted to see Harry, though. And that was the only way I could without him seeing me when I had that boil on my nose. But since I heard them talking about me, I can't help but want to go up to the attic more often. You just don't understand--"
"I do understand!" exclaimed Hermione which made Ginny almost jump. "Okay, don't tell anyone this, but--"
"I won't!"
"Well," Hermione began and looked down at her feet, "Last term, I bought some of those Extendable Ears from your brothers, and I used them to hear what all my professors had to say about my O.W.L. scores."
"And?"
"And it turned out that they weren't going to find out how I did until a few weeks later, but Professor Flitwick said there was word about me doing exceptionally well."
"You see what I mean, Hermione? I'm sure that that lifted a load off your chest."
"It did, but I'm still not too happy about eavesdropping on my superiors."
"I know you, Hermione. You like to break the rules as much as we all do!"
Hermione smiled, "Okay, but I'm no Fred and George."
"Good, then you can help me!" Ginny sat up straight.